Yonkers: Analysis for Thursday 12/19

MEET STATS: 253- 970 / $1,605.30 (-$334.70)
BEST BETS: 44 - 94 / $219.50 (+$31.50)
SPOT PLAYS: 13 - 94 / $178.90 (-$9.10)
BEST BET - HICKFROMFRENCHLICK (11th)
SPOT PLAY - MISSISSIPPI STORM (10th)

This is my last analysis for Yonkers for 2024. Thanks to everybody who followed along this year and Happy Holidays!

Race 1 - 3-5YO 20000CLM Pace

(5) I B LOVIN was fourth against tougher company on 12-10 and makes his second start for this stable tonight. He was also off for about a month coming into that try last Tuesday, so I'll look for him to be sharper and use. (4) COLD CREEK FELIPE shows a win and two seconds in this class and returns tonight after taking on open claimers over at the Meadowlands in his last three outings. (1) MONACO HANOVER is just one-for-24 in the win column this year but has hit the board three times since November 14 and starts from the pole again.

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Race 2 - NW7500L5/Winners in Last Start of the Base Class NW5000L5 Pace

(1) TWIN B SEAMONSTER competed in the 3-5YO Open Pace when he was racing at Yonkers back in October and returns from the Meadowlands tonight. He gets post relief off his last try across the river and posted a win and a third two and three starts back. (2) MASONS DELIGHT N gets an inside post for the first time in a few weeks here and has Jason Bartlett back at the controls. (5) FINAL CHEESERECIPE doesn't show any super-obvious form, but this could be a slightly softer spot than he's been in and both of his victories this year did come at Yonkers.

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Race 3 - 3-5YO 20000CLM Pace

(3) IRRESISTIBLE hasn't had much a chance from post seven in his last two tries but drew well tonight and shows a win and a second at this level in October and November. (5) KINGSTON PANIC drops a notch out of the age-restricted $30,000 claiming class and did post a couple of seconds against that company. (1) METAMAN comes in from the Meadowlands where he's been facing stouter opposition and landed the pole.

Race 4 - 40000CLM Trot

(3) MAHONE SEELSTER gained ground and several positions in the final quarter last week in his first outing for these connections. He gets significant post relief off that effort and merits a try. (4) ROGER RABBIT has been facing tougher company in his last three appearances and is finishing out a solid campaign that's seen him in the top three in over half of his outings. (1) STEALING broke two back but has been sharp overall outside of that and slides in from the six-hole to post one this time.

Race 5 - 25000CLM Pace

(5) SMOKIN BY N slides down from the $30,000 claimers and was a winner the last time he faced $25,000 claiming company back in mid-October. (2) PRINCE OF TIDES just missed by a nose in this class in his first outing here back on 12-4 and landed another inside post tonight. (1) LYONS PEGASUS drew the pole position and was third in the same race that PRINCE OF TIDES exits.

Race 6 - 3-5YO 30000CLM Pace

(4) FLIP MY CHIP owns three wins in four tries in this class, including a romping victory a week ago. He moves in on the gate from post seven to the four-hole here off that mile. (6) J B GRAM is another one in great form with his only off-the-board result when he faced much tougher open $50,000 claimers on 11-18. He's been especially potent at this level. (3) I AINT NO MACK scored twice against this age-restricted claiming company in October and November and was second to FLIP MY CHIP last Thursday.

Race 7 - Invitational Trot

(1) HERODOTUS kept his run of good showings going last week when he was third in the Invitational and had the good fortune to draw the pole tonight after he had post five in that outing. (3) SOUTHWIND COORS joins the Burke Brigade tonight and comes off a winning effort up at Woodbine Mohawk Park. He's been a good horse throughout his career and should have every chance to strike at first asking for the new connections. (7) PAPPARDELLE shows a pair of victories in this class and could be back to a more aggressive approach here after he raced from off-the-pace a week ago.

Race 8 - 3-5YO 20000CLM Pace

(1) THAT DOG WILL HUNT continues to rack up on-the-board finishes and won twice in this class in November. I'll swing with him as he starts from the pole tonight. (4) LAZ has won three of four at this level, with his only defeat coming after a tough trip from the eight-hole. He was able to hold off my top selection to tally a week ago. (5) WOLFTRAX shows two third-place results since he came to Yonkers from Kentucky, and that's where I'm going to slot him again this time.

Race 9 - 40000CLM Trot

(3) AUSTRAL HANOVER picked up a couple of checks against tougher company in his last two tries and now returns to face $40,000 claimers here. He won twice in this class in October and had two other on-the-board efforts also. (2) BLUEBIRD BISHOP tallied in a $40,000 claiming event a week ago and moves in on the gate from post five to the two-hole this time. (1) UNFORGETTABLE hasn't been outside the exacta in his last five appearances at this level and drew inside again tonight.

Race 10 - NW20000L5/Winners in Last Start of the Base Class NW15000L5/NW10 PM Races LT/60000CLM Trot

(6) MISSISSIPPI STORM prevailed over at the Meadowlands most recently and was in the MGM Grand Prix Trotting Series before that. This is obviously a much softer spot than that, and I'll look for him to deliver again. (5) ALL STAR SWAN has been first or second in her last six efforts and has a win and a runner-up result in two tries in this class. (2) I GET IT didn't threaten last week but won two straight at this level prior to that.

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Race 11 - NW7500L5/Winners in Last Start of the Base Class NW5000L5 Pace

(2) HICKFROMFRENCHLICK should have picked up confidence with a facile victory over NW5000L5 foes a week ago and doesn't face an overly tough group here. (3) SOUTHBEACH HANOVER won another division of the NW5000L5 class last Thursday. Yannick Gingras isn't here to pilot him but Brent Holland has plenty of experience driving him. (5) CHANTEE finished second at this level on November 25 and moves in a couple of slots on the gate tonight after he had the seven-hole most recently.

Race 12 - NW5000L5/12500CLM Pace

(6) BRAEVIEW BONDI A closed well in a fourth-place finish against NW7500L5 foes last Thursday and drops tonight. His last win came in the corresponding class to this one down at Harrah's Philadelphia in early November. (3) RICARDOSHILYSHALLY was third in this class a week ago and makes his third start back after a qualifier here. (4) LEVINE hasn't been able to find the winner's circle in 2024 thus far but finds the bottom level tonight and does show a couple of on-the-board results against NW7500L5's and NW10000L5's.